Did you vote?

I over estimated how many people would vote before going to work this morning.  I live in an area that is walking distance to the train, and where many people elect to live in train towns to commute to work.  Therefore I jumped to the conclusion that, why not vote before you go to work, as many of the men work long hours.  At 6:31am I was voter #3 in my district.  It took me all of 3 minutes and I was out the door.  The longest part of the voting process is the old men/ladies who sign you in.  How many times do I have to spell my last name or give my address?  All NYS licenses have a bar code...why can't they just scan it to register us in?   We also have new scanable machines.  My district and the others I have voted in since I was 18 were the ones behind the curtains where you push levers and the votes were tallied when you opened the curtain by means of a lever.  These new scanable machines, to me are a step backwards.  The paper ballots look like a scantron form.  You go over to a small area, pick up a sharpie and fill in the circles - which more or less bleed through the paper so everyone will see who you voted for anyway depending on where your line is.  Then you walk over to the scanning machine and insert the ballot upside down into the machine and wait until it registers.  It is simple but I am glad I was able to pre-test it at the primaries. 

Anyway, what I really wanted to talk about is voting.  Honestly, I don't talk politics with people, most of the time not even my family.  Everyone is entitled to their own views and I respect that.  I even watched the presidential election with a good friend who was rooting for someone I didn't vote for.  So this won't be a push for one candidate over another.  Do as you wish.  My problems with voting are several. 

First, I despise all the people out there that vote for the WRONG reasons.  The last presidential election is a prime example.  I heard so many people say 'I voted for Obama because he is black'.  That was their only concern, to break a record - to have the USA have someone not white in office.  Sure, it shows that as a country we aren't as prejudice as we once were about race (we are more so in other areas now) but voting for someone based solely on skin color is wrong.  Skin color has no reflection on his ability to do a job. Do research.  Find out what else you could like about him and say you voted for him because it.  Every candidate has something you can relate to that would affect your beliefs in how a country is run.

Second, all you people out there that are eligible to vote in the US elections...and are not registered or are registered but don't vote - Stop bitching about how horrible the country is, how bad our elected officials are.  Yes, you have an opinion, but since you don't vote, it doesn't matter.  Especially local elections - you don't like that the schools had to cut back or that X is being suggested in your community?  Tough!  Perhaps if you did vote you wouldn't be so cranky and our community/country would be a better place.

Third, as I said, I try not to discuss politics.  It isn't because I am scared of what people will say.  I tend to go against many people's thoughts in many areas of life, and it doesn't bother me.  It does not bother me that I am a minority in my state/county.  I have my own reasons for voting for who I do.  So I don't want you to try to make me feel guilty for who I want.  It won't work. I will not feel guilty or bad about it - instead I just think how pathetic you are for badgering me...it only shows you are insecure about your thoughts if you have to be all loud and incoherent when you are talking.  You look like the fool, not me.

Fourth, crossing party lines.  I am OK with this. If a candidate in the opposing party is clearly a better candidate I WILL vote outside my party.  Absolutely.  Generally in all elections, there are at least two people I vote for outside.  I don't care, I like someone else better, I will vote for them.  I do have an issue with people HATING a candidate but still voting for them based just on party.

Finally, some people vote that shouldn't.  If you have no idea any of the names on the ballot or what election it is- don't vote. Stay home.  It does no good to randomly select 10+ people.  I am OK with having to make a few on the spot decisions and sometimes I do randomly select someone, but for the most part I go in there well informed about 80% of the positions/people. 

I get secret pleasure in listening to people at the train station, friends, etc who before elections can't stop talking about X person.  Why they are so wonderful, what needs to change, and then of course part of#3 where they try to argue to someone why their person is better and why can't I understand.  For a few months later them bitching about how bad something is.  They were all for it before it happened, but because they voted for the wrong reason #1, and were not well informed on the 'important' topics they now regret their decision.

I don't think these people 'learn their lesson' about voting for the next time around. But as long as enough people vote, we can only hope that it is better informed individuals.